Milford Finance Committee Backs $2.75 Million Settlement in Police Gender Discrimination Suit

MILFORD — April 29, 2026 — Milford Finance Committee recommends $2.75 million settlement in police sergeant's gender discrimination case. The committee voted unanimously, with two abstentions, to send a favorable recommendation to Town Meeting on Article 16, which would appropriate $2.8 million — $2.75 million to settle McGuire v. Town of Milford and up to $50,000 for an independent consultant to study police department hiring and promotional practices. Attorney Chris Futo of Foley Hoag, retained by the town since May 2022, told the committee that comparable jury verdicts in Massachusetts gender discrimination cases against public employers have ranged from $2 million to nearly $12 million, and that plaintiff's attorney's fees — mandatory under state law if any discrimination finding is made — would likely exceed $1 million at trial. The town has already spent approximately $1.6 million defending the case over four years. Finance Director Zach Carbone confirmed the settlement would be funded from the stabilization account, a draw requiring a two-thirds Town Meeting vote; if that vote fails, trial is set for December 7, 2026, and any resulting judgment would be added directly to the tax levy. In other action, the committee voted unfavorable on Article 8, a package of personnel bylaw changes that would have accelerated vacation accrual schedules and raised Sunday and holiday overtime to double-time for a handful of non-union employees, with members calling for comparative municipal data before any further action.